Meet Dhayana Alejandrina | Poet, Mental Health Advocate, & Writing Mentor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dhayana Alejandrina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dhayana, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
My name is Dhayana Alejandrina, and I am the daughter of Zoila and Rafael and sister to three amazing brothers, Oscar, Amaury, and Rafael. I was born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in a neighborhood called Simón Bolívar, then immigrated to the United States with my mother at the age of thirteen in 2009.

Living in the Dominican Republic was a tropical adventure; it meant electricity outages every couple of hours, Saturday morning ritual cleanings with the neighbor blasting bachata, church on Sundays, endless trips to Boca Chica Beach with the family, outdoor get-togethers with my friends, and volleyball practices at El Centro Olímpico Juan Pablo Duarte. Also, I spent a significant amount of time in nature. Although I lived in a small neighborhood with no ocean view or vast greenery, my parents ensured that I experienced what our beautiful island offered—most importantly, the life lessons. My childhood was special and humble. My parents made sure I understood the importance of family, healthy habits, exercise, friends, boundaries, respect, kindness, and more. I was given the space to speak my mind and express my thoughts. Also, both of my parents enjoy creative writing. This made me feel even closer to my calling. I was always journaling, writing love poems, and inspirational quotes. Writing made me experience a different kind of freedom. This phase in my life was just the beginning of everything. Every challenge and lesson during my early years in the Dominican Republic taught me how to value the simple things in life and how to remain rooted in love and gratitude—this is something that helped me during my immigration journey.

On June 27th, 2009, I was on a plane to meet my mother in Pennsylvania. I embarked on a journey to the unknown, leaving behind my family, friends, language, and culture, but there was still hope of carrying a part of them with us. The first couple of months felt like a rubber band was being stretched to the max, snapping with a direct aim at my heart—I missed the familiar faces, the island’s warmth, the rooster’s wake-up call, the ocean breeze, and the family dinners. Nevertheless, this journey not only shaped me into who I am today but also created a deeper relationship with writing and the importance of preserving the stories of culture.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
One of the accomplishments of which I am most proud is the publication of my debut book, Agridulce. I recently spoke about it during an interview with The Well Done Life Podcast and mentioned how deeply meaningful it was to release the words into the world. This was a personal challenge, but it was also the necessary step I needed to take to reclaim and recall the parts of me that were lost. Agridulce is a raw and beautiful collection of poetry and prose. Another thing I’m proud of is being part of the sonic film THE DARK WOMB, produced by Ra Yukawa, dedicated to our inner child, our hidden shadows, and all the women who have helped us reach our levels. In addition, one thing I am super excited about is the release of my second collection, which is complete and scheduled for publication in 2024.

For me, writing has always been a transformative journey of healing, discovery, and liberation. Writing means having words dance on my tongue, chanting protection spells—urging me to trust, feel, and let my story be a testament to life itself. I started writing around the age of nine when I lived in Santo Domingo. Both of my parents are creative people who love to write and read. I remember the first time my dad handed me a birthday letter he wrote that contained poems and prose. Mami and papi created a safe space for me to tap into my creativity and ask questions about life.

My writing is a reflection of my journey, and so one of the hardest challenges was the first two years after immigrating. During that time, I missed my home and culture immensely; I held on to all I knew, as if learning a new language meant I would no longer be me. When I tried writing in English, it felt like a conflict of identity, an inner battle—the mind against the heart, a new version of myself fighting against the old. My heart has never lied when it comes to the ink pouring, the words becoming alive, and the memories embedded on the pages of my life. My broken English was a vivid representation of two languages trying to intertwine as the words made their way through my vocal cords to give birth to the voice of the diaspora.

Another challenge I have faced is doubting my work, which is something that all writers experience. However, I want anyone reading this to know that our voices and writing styles are unique. We must never compare ourselves to the work of others because we do not possess the knowledge to truly know all they have experienced to get to where they are. During times of doubt, I had to remind myself of why I write and who I write for (I encourage everyone to reflect on their why and hold on to it).

Lastly, I got to where I am today because of the people in my life—everyone who ever told me they believed in me, who shared my work, bought my book, or held me through my darkest times. As important, I believe in myself and trust in my spiritual gift while knowing that community is sacred and an important part of where I am today.

Lessons and Reminders:

1) Vulnerability and gentleness are beautiful—we must not allow our hearts to be hardened by life experiences.

2) Stillness—of the body and mind—is key to experiencing life fully and gratefully. We must welcome the moments of stillness and silence as an opportunity to connect deeper with ourselves and our environment.

3) Do not be afraid of failing; be afraid of not believing in yourself enough to try. Life is a dance of experiences and lessons; do not forget that rejection is redirection.

4) You do not have to go through hardships alone—trust in your community, friends, family, or anyone who makes you feel safe, seen, and loved.

5) If you have something you love doing, nurture it the same way you would nurture yourself. Do not forget that perfection is not the goal, but discipline and practice are needed to maintain any good habits.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although I have only been living in Atlanta for eight months—and there are many places I have yet to go to—this is the itinerary I would create for a week-long trip. For places to eat and drink, I would include: No Man Cantina, Bartaco, Busy Bee Cafe, Casa Jalisco Mexican Bar and Grill, Rock Steady, Dat Fire Jerk Chicken, Papi’s Cuban & Caribbean Grill, The Americano Restaurant, The Painted Duck, The Works, Gocha’s Breakfast Bar, and many others.

Places to visit and hang out would include: the Aquarium (which is a beautiful one), Nourish Botanica (a beautiful flower and plant shop that hosts different events during the year), Connected Camping (a 24-hour health and wellness camping experience designed to connect people for who they are, not what they do), Piedmont Park, ATL Botanical Garden, High Museum of Art, Michael C. Carlos Museum, Spray Paint and Sip Workshops, any live music and food festivals, Havana Club (we love to dance), Indoor Sky Diving, Ponce City Market, The Battery, Atlantic Station, Northside Trails, Cascade Springs, and other outdoor activities since we love nature.

Ultimately, I am lucky to have friends who love diversity and are open to a multitude of experiences—that always makes planning easy and fun.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I believe that everyone we cross paths with in this lifetime is a reflection of what we need most during that chapter of our lives, whether that is lessons, challenges, opportunities, or love.

There are many people for whom I am forever grateful, like my parents (for their sacrifice to move to another country to give me a better future), my brothers, my ride-or-die friends, and my significant other. Each one of them has not only welcomed me and loved me wholeheartedly, but they have also inspired me, guided me, and shown me grace.

As a first-generation Dominican-American, I wouldn’t be here without the help of my community. If I had to start giving shout-outs from the beginning, I would start with Mrs. Nelson, my ESOL teacher in high school. She treated me like a daughter and showed me an incredible amount of patience and love as I navigated through the language and cultural barriers. Secondly, Mrs. Thuma, my child development teacher, who bought me my first pair of javelin shoes for track and field and motivated me to believe in my dreams. Last but not least, Mrs. Weller, my PE teacher, who saw something in me before I saw it in myself. She encouraged me to try other sports in high school (since I was a volleyball player but the high school I attended did not have a volleyball team) as soon as I learned English, helped me with my college application, attended my college orientation with me, and helped me reach out to track and field coaches for college tryouts.

When it comes to my creative work, there are many individuals and organizations who took a chance on me, mentored me, and gave my voice the opportunity to be heard. Some organizations include the #WeAllGrow Latina, who offered me my first paid writers panel feature as a poet; Kristina Casarez, the founder of Yoomeehealing, who was the first person to say yes to collaborating with me when marketing my debut book Agridulce; The Dominican Writers Association, a community I have published two nonfiction stories, facilitated creative writing workshops for writers, and received beautiful mentorship from their founder Angy Abreu; Nkem, the founder of Wellspringwords, a writing and creative embodiment coaching community, who offered to work with me and combine our visions to help the community; Jennifer Hernandez, a journalist for AL DÍA News, who offered me the opportunity to be interviewed to discuss my story and debut book; Charis Books and More, for selecting me as one of their feature poets for  their Charis Poetry Showcase; and lastly, Nourish Botanica x Connected Camping for having as the featured artist for their first Sessions Open Mic event.

Moreover, some of the individuals whose love, support, and inspiring stories have greatly impacted me include Ana Kalo, Angelica Otero, Yamberlie Tavarez, Violeta Dragoi, Margarita Lila, Ra Yukawa, Ninekai, Samantha Sao, Raelina Saint-Hilaire, Cindy Larkins, Aurelia Luciano, Aikeem, Vill, Maria Burgos, Nicole Castillo, and many others.

Website: https://dhayana-alejandrina.square.site

Instagram: @dhayanalejandrina

Twitter: @dhayalejandrina

Facebook: Dhayana Alejandrina

Other: Substack Newsletter: Thoughts on Life (https://dhayanalejandrina.substack.com)

Image Credits
Cindy Larkins Raelina Saint-Hilaire Ra Yukawa